Admiration from Afar
by madmaddiee
Summary: Draco has been admiring a certain red-head from afar. Murphy's Law challenge. AU. Complete.


**Author's Note: **Yet, another challenge. "Murphy's Law Challenge"

My quote/Murphy's law type thing: A shatterproof object will always fall on the only surface hard enough to crack or break it.

So, here is is! (:

**I don't own anything, okay?**

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Out of all his years at Hogwarts, Draco never payed very much attention to her. For one, his father would never approve of him even looking at her. For another, she was a year younger, and he didn't see her around Hogwarts very often.

He remembered when he first met her. She was in Flourish and Blots, getting her school books with the rest of her family, and he walked over to go make fun of Harry Potter at his father's request. He didn't think much of her then.

Now, it was different. He noticed her everywhere recently. He found himself staring at her during dinner, and seemed to be passing her in the corridors more often.

Today? Well, he had been admiring her from a distance. She was sitting by the lake, leaning against a tree and he was sitting about five yards away. He never realized how gorgeous she was. When they were younger, and when girls still had cooties, she didn't seem all that appealing.

Draco analyzed her, taking a mental picture of her. She had just turned seventeen, and she had really grown into her body. She had amazing curves, and her read hair had grown to her waist. Her mother had let her start to wear makeup about a year ago, but she never used much. Just enough to make her eyes more intense.

He had considered talking to her. To apologize, perhaps. But mostly just to get a feel of the chemistry, either existent or not. He debated it inwardly for months, and he agreed that if she ever made eye contact with him, he would talk to her.

It shocked him to feel nervous about it. He was confident, and sure of himself usually. But thinking about her made him feel. . .silly. Happy, in a way. 'Butterflies-in-your-stomach' sort of uneasiness.

His breath caught in his throat as she turned around to look into his eyes. He thought she'd never make eye contact with him, but when she did, the world stopped. As cliché as it sounded, all he saw was her.

He stood up and made his way towards her, to sit with her under the tree. As he watched her expression, she seemed just as nervous as he was. A series of emotions, including 'surprise' flashed in her eyes, until she turned away.

He stopped when he was next to her, and squatted down to her level. "Can I sit here?" He asked as politely as he could. She nodded, anxious to know why he was near her.

He fell onto his backside and rested his arms on his knees, and sat in silence with her for a few moments. Eventually, he turned to her and sighed. "This is going to sound. . .strange, and random for the most part, but. . .I want to apologize. For any hurt I've caused you, or any of your family members, and I want to apologize for my father's behavior, especially in your second year." She shuddered and looked away. "I know it doesn't justify it, but he was just doing as he was told, it wasn't anything personal." He stopped, and tried to think if there was anything else he wanted to say. "So. . .that's it. Thanks for your time." He began to stand up, but Ginny grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Thank you. I always had this sense that you didn't ever _really_ want to say the things you did, but you were obligated to. Was I right?" Ginny observed.

"For the most part. My father gave me the false belief that I was better than everyone else, and I'm really sorry I thought that way."

"You're forgiven, stop apologizing." She laughed softly. "The past few days, I felt as though someone has been staring at me. . .Has it been you?"

He nodded, ruefully. "Yes, I was just trying to find a way to approach you, politely for that matter." He smiled at her, and for once it was a genuine smile, not a smirk.

"And. . .you've mesmerized me this year. I develop a trance when you're around, and all I can see is you. I can't believe I'm going to display my feelings, it's so not like me but. . .I think I love you, Ginny Weasley." He looked down and blushed slightly.

Ginny stared at him with wide eyes. "Really? That's. . .crazy. I always thought you _hated_ me."

"I never hated you, Ginny." He looked deep into her eyes. "I know I come off. . .sort of cold." She snorted at this. "Okay, very cold. And I bet it seems as though my heart is made of ice. You, Ginevra Weasley, made my heart melt completely. As if my ice heart had a crack in it when I first saw you this year, the little pieces of ice around my heart have been falling off ever since." Draco stopped, out of breath.

Ginny looked at him inquisitively. "That seems similar to Murphy's law."

Draco nodded. "A shatterproof object will always fall on the only surface hard enough to crack or break it."

"So, you fell for me?" He nodded again. "Which leads me to believe that I'm the only 'surface' hard enough to make a crack in that ice?" Ginny smiled warmly at him. "I love you too, by the way, Draco." She rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Regardless of all the disagreements of their family, they never let it affect them or their new relationship. They would probably fight, because fire and ice didn't always dance in harmony. But they'd always make up, because it wasn't some fling--this was love, true love, and it could last through anything.

After all; the course of true love never did run smooth.

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Review? (:


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